Product dispensing cap with pivotal directional spout

Abstract

A cap dispenses material from a container having a mouth. The cap has a main body mountable on the mouth. The main body includes a protruding portion having an opening for receiving material moving through the mouth. A combination seal and dispensing spout is pivotally mounted to the main body and has a top wall with an extended portion. The spout may be pivoted on the main body between a sealing position and a dispensing position. In the sealing position, the spout blocks flow of material through the opening. In the dispensing position, the spout is aligned with the opening in the protruding portion to allow material to flow through the protruding portion and onto the spout so that the material may be dispensed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to the field of containers and lids for dispensing fluidized material.DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART[0002]A variety of containers and lids have been devised for spreading fluidized material, such as grass seed, fertilizer, food products and various granular and powdered material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,274,969 discloses a broadcast sower for distributing seed from a container in a plurality of different directions. U.S. Pat. No. 2,511,560 discloses a scoop for manually scattering powdered or granular materials such as lime, fertilizer, or seeds with the scoop provided with a plurality of vanes to direct the material outwardly from the scoop. Another seed spreader that inertially ejects the seed from the hopper is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,568. A simpler approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,674 that includes a telescopic nozzle to uniformly distribute granular material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,062...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a new and improved cap for dispensing fluidized material from a container. The cap has a protruding portion with a passageway for receiving and passing material, and a pivotal spout that can be turned to dispense material. The spout can be locked in a sealing position to prevent material flow. The cap can also be used as a spreader for spreading fluidized material. The technical effects of the invention include improved distribution of material, ease of use, and improved design for dispensing and spreading."

Problems solved by technology

One drawback, however, with the lid disclosed therein is that the container on which the lid is affixed and which holds the granular material to be distributed must be held in an upside down position and grasped from its bottom in order for the lid to function.

Users may feel it awkward to hold the container in such a position, and a filled container may be heavy and tiresome to grasp and hold upside down.

Such provision may diminish valuable container volume, and further may offset the stability of the container while it rests on its bottom when not in use.

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